Students on the 'Cutting' edge

Friday

HAMPTON FALLS — As many New Englanders begin to anticipate, or dread, the onset of winter, Barbara Cutting's first-grade class at Lincoln Akerman School is already anticipating spring.

HAMPTON FALLS — As many New Englanders begin to anticipate, or dread, the onset of winter, Barbara Cutting's first-grade class at Lincoln Akerman School is already anticipating spring.

The Cutting Kids, as they're known, have embarked on a Journey North to tulip gardens. Journey North is a program in which classrooms around the country choose projects, follow guidelines, input data online and share the learning process as they explore science.

The Cutting Kids began their journey by learning about the needs of tulip bulbs, exploring school grounds to identify a good spot for their tulip bed, helping parent volunteers prepare the bed and planting three Red Emperor tulips bulbs each.

The class braved the elements — the remnants of a hurricane on the day they prepared the flower bed and a blustery fall wind on planting day. There is no daunting the spirits of 6- and 7-year-olds on a mission and the Cutting Kids are dedicated to their Journey North.

Before planting, the class explored tulip bulbs. Not just drawing pictures and labeling parts, but feeling, smelling, measuring, weighing and dissecting them. Using magnifying glasses, rulers, measuring tape, scales and four of their five senses (no tasting, please) — the class recorded their findings in journals, on bar graphs and through discussion.

Molly Maynard's initial observation was "this smells good." Dalya Munir observed her bulb looked "like it has a ponytail." As he dissected his, Ethan Tanguay said it "reminds me of an onion." Andrew Dawe tapped the hard brown skin of his bulb and determined "this part protects it" while the inner softer part "feels like a carrot." Alexandra Blue counted seven layers in her bulb and thought it looked like a "turtle head poking out of its shell."

The project is a perfect fit for Barbara Cutting, whose "educational philosophy overall is for children to learn by doing whenever possible." Providing the children "the whole experience of the garden" is an important aspect of the project for her.

Outfitted in orange work aprons donated by The Home Depot and armed with garden shovels provided by Dave & Eno's, the class got down and dirty measuring and digging holes for their tulip bulbs.

"Our society these days is so very immediate that children need the opportunity to experience nature's cycles and recognize patterns in the natural world around them," she said. "These patterns take time! Even as the natural world has its own rhythms, the children will be able to experience the immediacy of technology as well as they record and post their data."

The Cutting Kids have plenty to keep them busy as they await the spring day they find their bulbs peeking through the Earth. Cutting has several lessons related to their Journey North to pass the time. Ideas include mapping and geography lessons locating other Journey North classrooms around the country, forcing a variety of bulbs in the classroom, documenting seasonal weather changes and one project the class has already started — adopting a tree from home to study and observe over the school year.

What does the class think of the project so far? According to Alexandra Blue, "awesome!"

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.

Advertise

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
seacoastonline.com ~ 111 New Hampshire Ave., Portsmouth, NH 03801 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service